When to run off? Good question. I reckon a couple of things need to happen to even allow you the choice. Running isn't gonna take ya deeper into the storm and running won't place you on a Lee shore. Every boat reaches a limit with regards to beating to windward or beam reaching. So far I haven't found Oh Joy's limits but then again, I don't go looking to try that anymore. Once you've gotten to where ya can't beat or run on the beam, you have two choices, run off or heave to. I can see running to a certain point but not to the point of risking pitch-poling, if I'm going in that direction. If not, I'll heave to. It's been shown that ya lose much less ground heaving to than ya do running.

2. Sailing into the slip: How about some tips on this. I've been practicing heaving to in open water - but I'm not yet confident enough to sail in. One of the issues is that with our water down, there's a bottle neck in our marina that leaves maybe 8 feet on either side of our boat coming in/out (with boats on either side). Would that bother the salts out there? Or is that nothing? Giu - you need to get us a video of this (if you haven't already). They've been great tools.

A bottleneck that narrow would make anyone think twice about sailing in, especially with boats on both sides.

At the Baltimore DSC, we have a wide-open approach to our slips, and it's a private dock -- no powerboats to worry about. It's just us. In general, we can approach the slips from anywhere along a 180 deg. approach, and choose our entry with plenty of time to decide. It's really the perfect place for attempting dockings under sail. Which are the only kind we can do, as none of our J22s or Sonars have motors.

OTOH, I had to sail into my slip at White Rocks Marina earlier this year when my engine overheated. The breeze was light and we tacked in with no problem, and sailed her into the slip easy as kiss your hand. Only used the main, and you can easily control speed by dumping the wind as long as it's forward of the beam. It's a little harder if from astern.

The most important piece of knowledge for docking under sail is how far your boat will drift upwind under various conditions, because the DSC's system is to always turn the boat into the wind and drop the main (the jib is always dropped well outside the dock area), then use the leftover speed to enter the slip. Our slips have full docks, no fingers, and if you're coming in a bit hot there's plenty of room to jump off the bow and get a line around something to slow her down. They are only 22-23' boats after all.

We just have nearly the perfect arrangement for docking under sail. Not every place will be so accomodating, obviously.

When to run off? Good question. I reckon a couple of things need to happen to even allow you the choice. Running isn't gonna take ya deeper into the storm and running won't place you on a Lee shore. Every boat reaches a limit with regards to beating to windward or beam reaching. So far I haven't found Oh Joy's limits but then again, I don't go looking to try that anymore. Once you've gotten to where ya can't beat or run on the beam, you have two choices, run off or heave to. I can see running to a certain point but not to the point of risking pitch-poling, if I'm going in that direction. If not, I'll heave to. It's been shown that ya lose much less ground heaving to than ya do running.

Yep, boats have limits and people have limits. We try to keep that in mind when we choose what situations we allow ourselves to get into.
We choose our destinations and choose our windows.
We buy our ground tackle and pay our insurance.
We purchase gear and try to educate ourselves, and hone our skills.

The idea is to better your odds. To increase your chances of success.

But there is no way we are never going to feel completely safe at sea in heavy weather.

Since I don't want to be accused of not telling my "merda de boi" stories also..

here is one I wrote for another "venue" where "merda de boi" was found in every thread....

Here is my account....

Back in 1932, I was going around the world for the 5th time that week, in my 152 feet 6 mast triple keel Carbon Iron Kevlar 4 Hull Monohull Trimaran Cat, that time, I was crossing the Horn, in -30 ļF air, when the winds, blowing erratically from the East, at 92 knots and sometimes from the south at 102 knots, ice pellets were the size of Chevrolet cavaliers….. in seas that were at least, 78 feet high, and waves that were on top of each other, yep, that is how near they were in frequency, took me for a small ride...the sea was black, but the skies were blue…the clouds…were not there…..

That morning, after not sleeping for 200 days in a row, I brushed my teeth with haemorrhoid cream, and inserted visine in my butt, wearing nothing but a T-shirt a pair of flip flops and a wooden glove, so I was ready for the Horn….one more time….

I had crossed a tanker that was almost sinking and 5 life rafts form others that were attempting the impossible…but not me….I pushed forward….there I went…the cries of people saying “don’t go!!!!!”….”don’t go!!!!!”…I ignore them….after all I needed something to tell to the folks at sailnet….we are runing out of BS now...

At one instance, I was doing 45 knots boat over water speed, which was approximately 120 knots over the ground, when suddenly, my Starboard shrouds were immersed by a wave coming from Port side....that was not a knock down or a broach…no Sir…that was a “Knocroach”…it’s not having the rail in the water….it’s not having the shrouds wet….that was the real deal….I knew my time was coming…..my mast pointed straight down to the sea bed….the highest mast hit the coral banks 5 times, banging up and down, waking up a gigantic octopus that rolled his 10 legs (yes the famous Horn 10 legger octopus, a vicious killer)…..I realized the disarray in my socks drawer would take me a good 3 months to sort out….

The tool kit open and 200 screws were spilled on my boat’s floor….my paper plates, that I keep for MOB situations, broke in small pieces, due to the impact…..

Suddenly, thru the thru hull hull that I had left open, due to my own fault, I saw day light…..I managed to push my way thru the 200 screws, and the socks…and made it to the light….I put my mouth in the hole and took a fresh breath of air….after all I was under water for almost 25 minutes now….my lungs were exploding….

Suddenly, at almost the speed of sound…my keel that had retracted, when the boat was upside down after 5 rolls, miraculously won against the gravity and, went up into the sky…the boat straightened it self……

I could see all gear was on deck, including my dinghy sea ray 200 HP tender, that I had forgotten to tie….I was scared, afraid, but luckily only 3 of my boxer shorts were missing…I had washed them the day before, as I left South Africa, and left them to die in my lazy back mast furling lines…

Suddenly ….

My mast hit the water again, this time rolling over the bow….I saw the wave behind me…It was so big it dried the sea bed…., the hawk that had nested on the top of hit, went down, at least 300 feet under water....and the octopus ate it….bastard…

I was knocked down...my boat spun 4 times around the boa….the ropes were tangled, the shrouds collapsed, the sheets messed up, looked like a fisherman’s nest...in one occasion 3 tuna were caught in my sheets........I was holding tight to the tiller, that I use to row my boat…I had carved my nails in the wood…my legs hurt from the force….I held for dear life, so I stopped thinking for a while, decided to majke some bacon and a toast, I only had time to put butter one side....when I was eating it half way, another wave came from the bow...it washed me over...I has thrown out of my boat, my life came in front of my eyes, all the while I was hearing a holiwoodesque song...I am sure it was Celine Dion singing Titanic music....

Suddenly, a whale comes by me, and kicks me....I was back on my boat, all this time, I managed to get only my T-shirt wet....

I kept rolling and getting knocked down and broached 32 times more that morning….finally all has an end…and the winds bÁlew a nice 60 knots 4 hours later, for only 50 minutes…so I hoisted all sails, and retured home….

That was scary…I have another story that is much worse than this….tell me if want to hear it….I don’t want people to think I am lying or exaggerating……really….

Does flipping an Optimist count as a broach or knockdown??? My son is very experienced….did that many times….

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Telstar 28
New England

You know what the first rule of sailing is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take
a boat to the sea you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps
her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.

óCpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited)

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